


I Will Let You Down

by Sportscandycollective



Series: Fall Greater Than He Ever Knew AU [3]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Alternate Ending, Betrayal, Continuation, Heartbreak, Heavy Angst, M/M, Murder, One Shot, turn to evil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sportscandycollective/pseuds/Sportscandycollective
Summary: The alternate ending to A Fall Greater Than He Ever Knew, where Robbie Rotten makes a fatal choice.Fic title taken from "Hurt" by Johnny Cash.NOTICE: PLEASE DO NOT REPOST MY WORK ONTO OTHER WEBSITES.





	

“I believe we left something unfinished from a while ago, yes?” he said in a near whisper.  
Robbie had one arm around Sportacus’s waist, the other was trembling at his side. “Please, Sportacus-“ he started, his voice breaking at the end.  
Sportacus gave him a small smile, smoothing the back of his head. “It’s okay Robbie.” He whispered. Sportacus continued to gently rub the back of Robbie’s head. Robbie choked back a sob as his hand wrapped around the dagger, its blade slipping free of its leather cover.

Sportacus’s cheeks were a bright pink as his one hand slipped from behind Robbie’s head back to near his neck. He closed his eyes, preparing for a kiss. Robbie shook terribly as he reached the dagger behind Sportacus, slowly bringing it closer to his back. From the corner of his eyes he could see the agents lowering their rifles as the dagger came closer to Sportacus. His head was flooded with racing thoughts.  
“ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Please Sportacus, please forgive me.. I wish I had another option. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this._ ” He looked up at the dagger, poised at Sportacus’s back. Tears rolled down his cheek, his attention caught by the sound of an agent cocking his rifle.  
“ _This the reminder you’re looking for?_ ” said a voice within Robbie, one he faintly recognized.  
  
It growled, the voice sneering and aggressive. “ _You will never be free of this. If you don’t kill Sportacus now, you’ll inflict so much more damage to everyone in town. Stephanie, Ziggy, Stingy, Trixie, Pixel, Ms. Busybody. All of them, their lives will be on the line. They will die, and it’ll be all your fault, if you don’t do this._ ”  
Robbie choked back a sob. Sportacus, hearing this, opened his eyes.  
“Robbie?” he asked, looking up at Robbie worriedly.  
“ _You got yourself in this mess. Did you seriously think you could get out of this one without someone getting hurt? Someone’s life was always on the line. You really did think you could escape this as the good guy, didn’t you? You’re a villain, you’ll always be a villain. If you want any chance of being decent, you’ll kill Sportacus, and save him the pain of knowing you put everyone he cared about in danger. Now, do it._ ” The voice shouted within his head. Robbie’s hands trembled.  
“Robbie, please, are you okay?” Sportacus asked, growing more worried by the second.  
Robbie looked at Sportacus, shuddering and shaking. “I’m so sorry, I have to do this.” He sobbed.

Before Sportacus could even ask another question, Robbie plunged the dagger straight into his back. Sportacus cried out, his eyes widening in horror. Sportacus’s hands shook. Warm tears poured down his face as he slumped forward, into Robbie’s arms.  
Robbie’s face paled. “Oh no, oh no no no. What have I done?” he said frantically. He quickly pulled Sportacus close, cradling him. He shook him anxiously. “Sportacus, Sportacus please. You need to stay with me. Oh please, Sportacus, don’t leave me.” He begged.  
Sportacus’s eyes half opened, tears still rolling down his face. “R-Robbie…” he gasped. He coughed up blood onto Robbie’s suit jacket.  
  
Robbie shook his head, his eyes wide and frozen in fear. “No, no Sportacus you need to fight this. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to…to…” Robbie could feel his heart begin to break as he saw Sportacus start to slip away. His breathing became more shallow and pained. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth, mixing with his tears.  
Sportacus winced, weakly holding on to Robbie’s arm. “I…I-I don’t understand…”  
Robbie held him closer, tearfully holding back his sobs, placing kisses along his cheek and forehead. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want this. I truly didn’t want this.”  
Sportacus coughed up more blood, his body shivering. Despite this, he forced a smile, looking up into Robbie’s eyes. “I…forgive you…” he barely managed to audibly say.  
Robbie looked in disbelief, feeling more tears fall from his eyes. He stroked Sportacus’s face, mouthing the words “It’s going to be okay” over and over again. He felt his heart shatter as he could feel the tension in Sportacus’s body sudden go lax, his breathing grow to a still, and the life in his eyes fade away as he finally passed.

Robbie’s composure finally cracked. He lost all control as he broke down into wailing sobs, feverishly begging for Sportacus’s forgiveness, rocking his body back and forth. He held Sportacus’s still form closer to his own, trying to feel the last of his body temperature before it finally cooled to the onset of rigor mortis. He laid more tear-filled kisses along Sportacus’s forehead and cheeks, hoping this was all some terrible nightmare. That Sportacus would awaken any minute, that they could go home, watch more movies, fall asleep together under a blanket. But no. That would never happen, never again. He was gone; the one person Robbie truly cared about and loved, was gone. While he could hear the agents radio in, crunching branches and leaves underfoot as they walked away, he didn’t care. Nothing mattered in that moment.

“Well Mr. Rotten, I’m quite pleased to see you make the correct choice.”  
The familiar voice broke the silence, and Robbie slowly turned his head upwards, seeing the suited man towering above him. The man appeared to be in his mid-50’s, his thin hair grayed and slicked against his temple. He had pronounced jowls, and he wore a flat expression, one that most wouldn’t associate with “pleased”. Robbie stared him down, continuing to cradle Sportacus’s body close to him.  
“Allow me to introduce myself Mr. Rotten. I am Mr. Steerpike. It’s been my job to monitor your progress over these last few months. It gives me the greatest joy to see you turn yourself around and succeed in your mission.”  
He extended his hand out towards Robbie. Robbie glared at his hand, not moving, barely acknowledging Mr. Steerpike’s presence. His gaze turned back towards Sportacus’s body.  
Mr. Steerpike retracted his hand. “Come now, Mr. Rotten. This is no time for tears, this is a time for celebration and planning. Aren’t you glad that you’ve finally succeeded? You’ve defeated your greatest nemesis. You’re a success. Come along now, we must discuss what the next steps in your plans must be, to keep you in line with L.O.V.’s overall goals.”  
“Go away.”

Mr. Steerpike’s barely pleasant expression broke. He looked sternly at Robbie. “What did you say, Mr. Rotten?”  
“I said…” Robbie growled. He yanked the silver dagger from Sportacus’s back, pointing it towards Mr. Steerpike and his agents. The agents pulled their rifles, training them on Robbie’s forehead. “GO…AWAY.” He snarled.  
Mr. Steerpike held his hands up. “Easy Mr. Rotten. Let’s not be brash.”  
“You think I won’t do it?!” Robbie spat, his knife still trained on Mr. Steerpike. “I’ve already killed one person, what makes you think I won’t do it again?!”  
Mr. Steerpike nodded, sighing. “I didn’t want to do this Mr. Rotten, but seeing that you’re clearly in no state to debate future plans, we’ll just have to table these discussions and give you time to rest. Perhaps move this discussion to a calmer location.”  
At that moment, Robbie felt himself tugged backwards, a rag forced over his mouth and nose. As he screamed and wrestled, he could feel his head grow dizzy and his vision blur. His struggling ceased as he collapsed, unconscious.  
Mr. Steerpike dusted off his suit, snapping his fingers and pointing towards a waiting car. “Take him back to headquarters, make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.”  
“And the sports elf?” asked one agent.  
  
Mr. Steerpike waved him off. “Dispose of the body. Make it look like an accident if you can.”  
The agents nodded, lifting and taking away Sportacus’s body.

\--

 

It was Ziggy that was first to discover Sportacus’s body. The kids had been out playing a friendly game of soccer, wondering ever so briefly where Sportacus and Robbie were, wondering how successful their date was. A wayward kick by Trixie sent the soccer ball careening out of the sports park and rolling down the street.  
  
“I’ve got it!” Ziggy said enthusiastically. He bounded down after the ball, rounding the corner after it. He leaned down to pick up the ball, and when he stood up something caught his eye. It looked like someone sleeping on the ground. It was only when he got closer that he realized exactly who it was, and the truth of the situation. The sight sent Ziggy screaming and blubbering back to the other kids. “Guys! Come quick! Get help! Sportacus is…he’s…I can’t say…” he said frantically.  
  
The kids quickly gathered Ms. Busybody and Mayor Meanswell, who ran as quick as they could to the scene. The adults gasped in horror, pulling the kids behind them to shield their eyes from the horrific sight. But it was too little too late. The kids had already seen enough. All of them were sobbing furiously, hugging each other in vain attempts to comfort one another. By all accounts, it looked like an accident. It appeared that, after failing one of his flips, Sportacus had fallen and been speared by the top of the picket fence. Police from out of town were called in to investigate, and they concluded the same idea. Yet, even then, the people of LazyTown were convinced that this couldn’t have been an accident. Sportacus never failed to complete one of his flips. This all stunk of foul play. But, they were never able to find any proof to support their claims.

Sportacus was buried in the sports park, a small stone marking his grave. The funeral was awful: the kids were inconsolable, the adults left completely unable to comfort them. Once the final words of parting had been spoken, and nearly everyone had left, only Stephanie and Trixie stood at Sportacus’s grave.  
“What are we going to do Stephanie? Without Sportacus, what’s going to happen to us?” Trixie asked quietly.  
Stephanie didn’t answer, her gaze was focused on the gravestone.  
“We can’t go back to being lazy, can we? I mean, I don’t want our town to go back to being like that. But without Sportacus…” Trixie said.  
  
“We won’t go back to being lazy.”  
  
Trixie looked at Stephanie in surprise. “But how do you know? Who’s going to make sure that our town stays on track?”  
Stephanie looked up, placing a hand on Trixie’s shoulder. “I will. I’ll make sure that this town continues to stay active and healthy. If we want to properly honor Sportacus’s memory, then we need to keep our town from becoming lazy again. And I will not just make sure the town stays active, I’ll keep it safe.”  
Trixie began to protest, but went silent. She saw the determination in Stephanie’s eyes, the drive. She nodded. “I believe in ya Pinky. I know you’ll protect our town real well.”  
Stephanie laid her flowers down by Sportacus’s grave, walking off with Trixie. “We’d better get going, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

\--

Robbie woke up groggily, his mind still fuzzy and sleep-deprived. He found himself in a bed he didn’t recognize, covered in soft, white, cotton sheets. The room was nicely, if not plainly, furnished. The furniture’s edges were rounded and smooth. The one window had a firmly installed screen installed on the inside. The walls were painted a plain beige color. Robbie felt completely drained, as he laid there just staring at the ceiling. His mind began to wake up as he sorted through the events right before he fell unconscious. He hoped that it was all nothing more than a fever-induced nightmare. The sight of dried blood on his suit jacket, however, told him that everything that happened was very real. He wanted to cry, but he felt too tired to even cry.

A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts. A man, dressed in a black suit, entered. He was tall, his silver hair cleanly trimmed in a side part. He had bushy eyebrows and, had it not been for the L.O.V. logo monogrammed on his lapel, Robbie could’ve easily assumed he was some sort of counselor from his demeanor.  
“Morning Robbie.” He said warmly, giving him a small smile. He extended a hand towards Robbie. “Let me introduce myself. My name is Mr. Danvers, but you can call me Solomon or Sully if you prefer.”

Robbie cautiously shook his hand, looking at him suspiciously. “What do you want?” he asked coldly.  
Mr. Danvers took a seat on the edge of Robbie’s bed. “Not much. Just wanted to check up on you. How are you feeling?”  
Robbie still glared at him. “About as good as you could feel after being chloroformed.”  
Mr. Danvers looked at him sympathetically. “I’m very sorry that they did that Robbie, but from what I heard you were pretty out of control. I believe they did what they thought was right so you didn’t kill our good friend Mr. Steerpike or his agents, but doesn’t mean it was right. My apologies.”  
  
Robbie rolled his eyes and scoffed. His expression, however, softened and became sad. He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, I deserve it. I flat out killed the person I loved last night. I looked him in the eyes and stabbed him in the back, literally.”  
Mr. Danvers nodded and patted Robbie’s back. “Perhaps, but that’s done and gone, right? Can’t go back and change what’s happened.”  
Robbie stared at Mr. Danvers, tears beginning to well up in his eyes once more. “How could you be so heartless?”

Mr. Danvers shrugged. “You have to be in, our business. Perhaps it’d do you some good to look at it all from a different perspective. You’ve accomplished something that few villains accomplish, even in our highest ranks. You took out your rival. You successfully defeated the hero. That’s quite commendable. You put your own heart on the line just to complete your mission.”  
Robbie growled. “You’re a monster, a heartless, soulless monster.”  
“The point is Robbie, we find that capability quite valuable. I came down here to talk to you about an upward advancement in our ranks. You could really do some moving and shaking in a top position, like your father did.”  
Robbie grimaced at Mr. Danvers’ reference to his father. “What if I don’t want to? Maybe I don’t want to be a villain anymore. Maybe, just maybe, I **never** wanted to be a villan.”  
  
Mr. Danvers shook his head. “Robbie, Robbie, I don’t think you understand. What I’m offering you? It’s priceless. I’m holding a position as one of the world’s leading crime bosses right in front of you, and you’re considering turning it down. Think for a minute. Say you turn down my offer. Do you think you could seamlessly go back to an average life in society? They’d brand you a **murderer**. You can’t go back to LazyTown, especially if they find out the truth about what happened to the sports elf. They’d hate you. What options do you have? At least with us, you’ve got security. A plan. A progression path. And best of all, people who want to help you succeed and become your best self. And that self is as the Glæpurs before you, as a master criminal.”  
Robbie’s face fell as he listened to Mr. Danvers speak. He realized his options were incredibly limited. He had no friends on the outside, nothing and no one to turn to. Truly, he had nothing.  
“So, what will it be Robbie? You ready to join our little family?” Mr. Danvers asked with a smile, holding a hand out to Robbie.

Robbie sighed, his legs drawn up, his hands clasping his knees. He looked at Mr. Danvers, still disgusted by his earlier words, and took his hand. “I’ve got nothing better out there. I’m ready.”  
Mr. Danvers’ smile turned a little more wicked. “Then we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

\--

Mr. Danvers worked closely with Robbie over the next few years, carefully guiding and molding him. Robbie, having nothing else left for him, threw himself into learning the trade of villainy and shifting his attention towards much larger, more sinister plans. Over the course of his training, Robbie led an armed robbery, a massive fraud scheme that left a city in pieces, and even a poison attack against a small town.  
“Wonderfully done Robbie. That’s a job your father would be truly proud of.” Mr. Danvers praised.  
Robbie didn’t smile. He simply nodded. “Thank you, Solomon.”

In the process of Mr. Danvers’ training and instruction, Robbie grew increasingly more cold and distant, trying to repress all of his heartbreak and sadness. He was precise, using his creativity and ingenuity to invent the most dastardly and wicked of devices, all of which were employed in his plans and schemes. After one such plan, which involved creating a clockwork double of a city mayor’s daughter that hid a large payload of dynamite to devastate the city center and throw the city into chaos, Mr. Danvers approached Robbie, tears in his eyes.  
“You truly have made me proud Robbie. You’ve far surpassed even my wildest dreams. I believe wholeheartedly that you’re ready to take on the position your father once held, amongst our elite villain core.” He spoke much like a father praising his son for winning his Little League game.  
“Thank you, Solomon. I won’t let you down.” Robbie replied, his voice cold and sinister, his lips curling into a wicked smile.

\--

Years later, Robbie sits in the captain’s chair of a huge, flying air base. He wears a long, dark, wine-colored tailcoat, monogrammed with his initials, as well as a pair of black leather gloves. Under his command are hundreds of agents, each ready to answer to his beck and call. His eyes are near always trained upon the monitors in front of him, each screen displaying a video feed of various towns and locations, seeking his next target.

This particular day, his eyes dart from screen to screen, his head resting against his hand. It had been a while since his last crime spree, and he was growing restless. He tapped his fingers against the arms of his chair. He frowned as he peered at the monitors. Nothing in particular was catching his eye; it either looked too easy or not worth his time. An agent ran up to him frantically, carrying a bundle of reports in her hands. She saluted Robbie, and he nodded.  
“At ease.” He said flatly.  
“Sir, I have the daily reports sir.” She said firmly.  
“Good, give me the status on the ship’s mechanical state.” He asked, his eyes still trained upon the screens.  
“Ship’s engines checked out normal sir. All turbines and systems running at optimal level.”  
Robbie nodded. “How about the search programs? It seems we’re coming up empty on potential targets.”  
“All targeting and search systems running at 100% efficiency and accuracy sir.”  
Robbie frowned. “Hmph, okay. Prisoner status?”  
She nodded, flipping through some papers. “All prisoners alive and accounted for. However, we have some reports of a potential uprising being planned. Your orders, sir?”  
Robbie waved her off. “Tell the defense leader to beef up security and properly punish the rebelling prisoners. Tell him to use his own judgement on what defines “proper punishment”, just make sure that those prisoners don’t dare to rebel again.”  
The agent saluted. “Yes sir!” She turned and began to walk away.

Robbie paused, then spoke up. “Before you leave agent, I need you to run a report on this town.” He handed her a piece of paper.  
She read the name of the town and quirked a single eyebrow up. “Yes sir.” She said, without question. She then rushed off to her duties.  
Robbie sighed, returning to watching the monitors.

A few minutes later, the agent returned with a bundle of newspapers. “Sir, these are the most current reports we have. If you don’t mind me asking sir, why did you want to know about such a small place like LazyTown?”  
Robbie shot the agent a look. “My reasons are my own, agent. You’d do best not to ask such badgering questions.”  
The agent bowed her head. “My apologies, sir.”  
Robbie simply turned away as the agent ran back to her usual position. Robbie flipped open the most current newspaper, scanning through the news articles. His attention was immediately caught by the headlining news: LOCAL HERO SAVES DAY ONCE AGAIN. Most specifically, his attention was caught by the photo accompanying the article.

Despite the picture being printed in black-and-white, Robbie could instantly recognize the hero posing in the middle of the picture. That bob cut, that determined look, that stance. Even years later, Robbie knew that the hero was Stephanie. She was dressed in garb that eerily resembled Sportacus’s own uniform, with the only discernable difference being her uniform was emblazoned with a big number 11 on the front. Lying unconscious next to her feet, their coat collars grasped firmly in her fists, were the two villains the article had discussed. Robbie quickly recognized them as lower tier members of the League of Villains’ ranks. He sneered. Such amateurs to be caught by, in all respects, a child. His heart stopped for a moment, however, when he saw something in the background of the photo. Hidden in the background, presumably standing in the middle of the sports park, was a large statute of Sportacus.

He felt a twinge in his heart. An old sadness had been stirred within him. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he pulled out a slightly crushed paper crane. He looked at it for a while, turning it around in his hand. His gaze softened as old memories flooded his mind. He could even feel a tear starting to build in his eye as he remembered the kind sports elf’s smile, his enthusiasm, his supportive words.

" _I forgive you_."

His heart began to ache. He turned his attention to the article. It reported, at length, about the villains’ failed attempt to trick the current kids of LazyTown into quitting the sports teams and patronizing their arcade. This plan had been quickly shut down by the arrival of Stephanie, who destroyed the arcade machines, freeing the kids, and captured the bad guys.

The article even contained a quote from Stephanie: “We here in LazyTown strive to continue to be as active and healthily minded as possible each and every day. It hasn’t always been easy, it’s never been easy since the passing of our previous hero, Sportacus. But in his memory, we keep going. No matter what happens, or who we lose along the way, we’ll always keep going.”

Robbie felt a pang of guilt as he read that last sentence. He wondered, for a brief moment, if the kids ever thought about him. How was he remembered? Did they remember him fondly?

“Sir, what are your commands? Where is our next target?” spoke another agent.  
This broke Robbie out of his thoughtful trance. His eyes grew cold once more as he stared at the name “LazyTown” on the newspaper. He crushed the paper crane in his hand, dropping it on the floor.  
“Plot a course for LazyTown.” He commanded.  
“Yes sir!” piped the agent, as he began to relay navigational directions to the agents piloting the airbase.  
Robbie sat back in his chair, his fingers pressed against each other. “I’ve got some unfinished business there.” He said to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was sad! Glad that this isn't the official end to the fic. But it was fun to play around with the idea of Robbie actually going through with killing Sportacus, even if the set up in the original fic would make it not make sense.
> 
> Special thanks to HappyKonny for suggesting the idea! I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you have any concerns about the rating, please let me know!


End file.
